Ranveer closed the door behind them.
The sound echoed louder than he expected.
He loosened his sherwani collar, then stopped when he noticed her reflection in the glass.
She hadn't moved.
She wasn't trembling.
That unsettled him more than tears would have.
"You don't have to stand like that," he said quietly.
Najma turned slowly.
"I don't know where else to stand," she replied honestly.
Her voice wasn't weak.
Just real.
Ranveer took a breath.
"This marriage… it wasn't forced on you, was it?"
Najma studied him for a moment.
"No," she said. "It was chosen."
His brows furrowed. "For duty?"
"For my sister," she answered. "And for yours."
Something shifted in his expression.
Respect.
He moved to the table, poured two glasses of water, and handed one to her without touching her hand.
A deliberate distance.
"For tonight," he said, "we don't have to be husband and wife."
Najma looked up.
"We can just be two people," he continued. "Learning how to exist in the same space."
She took the glass.
"That sounds… fair," she said.
They sat on opposite sides of the bed.
Silence settled again — but softer now.
"You were very calm today," Ranveer said after a while.
"At the mandap."
Najma smiled faintly. "I've lived through worse than ceremonies."
He turned to her sharply. "You shouldn't have had to."
She met his gaze, surprised.
"That's the first time someone has said that to me," she admitted.
Ranveer hesitated.
Then, carefully, he reached out and lifted the edge of her dupatta, not removing it — just enough to see her face clearly.
"Najma," he said slowly, "I won't claim you like a possession."
Her breath caught.
"I won't rush you. I won't cage you."
He paused.
"But I will protect you. That much, I promise."
Najma felt something loosen in her chest.
She nodded. "That's more than enough."
They lay down on opposite sides of the bed.
A respectful distance between them.
Yet the space felt… charged.
After a few minutes, Najma spoke softly.
"Ranveer?"
"Yes."
"If I reach out… you won't misunderstand?"
He turned toward her.
"No," he said. "I'll listen."
Slowly, hesitantly, Najma reached out.
Her fingers brushed his sleeve.
Not demanding.
Not afraid.
Just seeking reassurance.
Ranveer turned fully toward her.
He placed his hand over hers.
Warm. Steady.
They didn't move beyond that.
Didn't need to.
Outside, the city buzzed with life.
Inside, two strangers shared their first quiet moment as something more.
Not passion.
Not obligation.
But trust.
Najma closed her eyes.
For the first time in a long time —
She slept without guarding her heart.
And Ranveer stayed awake longer than he meant to.
Watching over her.